LOA

After 120 + days, we finally have our LOA.  This Letter of Acceptance was issued by China and is their approval for us to adopt Yi Lin.  The wait was one of the most difficult times I've ever experienced.  It seemed to me like so many things went wrong in our lives while we waited for this magical piece of paper.  My faith was definately tested to the max.  I am very thankful for a few special people that God placed in our lives who prayed for us and encouraged us during this time.  As I look back on the months we spent waiting, I am confident that we were under spiritual attack.  I am reminded of the verse in the Bible where it talks about when we try to do good, evil is always present.  It made our wait 10 times harder than it would have been if all other areas in our lives were smooth sailing.  I will never forget the words of another adopting mom.  She said that the way we handle waiting on the Lord can be a form of worship to Him.  I thought about how I had worshipped the Lord and I was ashamed.  I began to search and search and pray and ask others to pray for me.  I received great comfort from Lamentations 3.  Verses 21-26 says "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.  It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning:  great is thy faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, saith my soul;  therefore will I hope in him.  The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."